Republicans Aren't Sold on Trump's $5,000 Payments -- WSJ

By Terell Wright

WASHINGTON-President Trump promised $5,000 to every American adult citizen if Republicans hold the House and Senate in the midterms. But the Republicans who would actually need to vote for that aren't sold.

Some GOP lawmakers signaled they were open to the rough idea, which as presented would cost more than $1 trillion, but would need more details on how it would work and where the money would come from. Others said such a payout would balloon budget deficits and fuel inflation, making it a nonstarter, and they argued that tying it to the election result made it suspect.

"I'm not going to vote to borrow $1.2 trillion and give everybody a check," said Sen. John Kennedy (R., La.). "And once the president thinks about that, and they start crafting the legislation and see the impact on the bond market and interest rates and our deficits, I don't think they'll end up wanting to do that."

Trump unveiled the idea last week in a speech at the Dallas GOP midterm convention, surprising Republican lawmakers. The White House has labeled it a "Trump dividend," arguing that the country has benefited from tariffs and other administration policies. But the U.S. continues to run budget deficits of about 6% of gross domestic product, and there is no money available for such a dividend without borrowing.

Republicans control the House and Senate now and could pass legislation to send payments even before the election. Trump, however, conditioned the payments on the election result, amid growing fears of a "blue wave" that could cost his party its majorities in both chambers.

Congressional leaders have walked a fine line on the proposal, aiming to show they are taking the president seriously but not committing to any action. Trump floated similar ideas earlier in his second term that never came to fruition, including promises of rebates from tariffs and government spending reductions. Republicans have pointed to Democratic Party-line stimulus measures during the Biden administration as fueling inflation.

Trump, for his part, has insisted that the payments will occur, citing the narrow passage of last year's tax-and-spending law as evidence that he can deliver despite legislative obstacles. "When I say something, I mean it!" he wrote on social media this week. "The $5,000 Dividend will happen because the People of our Country deserve it."

Speaker Mike Johnson (R., La.) called the Trump payouts a "creative idea" in a CNN interview Sunday and said revenue collected from Trump's sweeping tariffs could fund the payments.

"It takes a long time to build consensus around these things. And that's a big idea that's going to take a lot of process," said Johnson at a press conference on Tuesday about possible legislation.

The U.S. was poised to collect only about $400 billion in tariffs this fiscal year before the Supreme Court ruled many of Trump's tariffs to be illegal. By next year, under current policies, tariff collection will be about $125 billion, far smaller than the cost of the $5,000 checks proposal, according to the Tax Foundation.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R., S.D.) said he saw the idea as a way of highlighting the contrast between Republicans and Democrats, but wasn't committed to the proposal, saying Monday that "there will be discussions around that subject" among Senate Republicans.

Congressional Democrats described the proposal as a desperate attempt to bribe Americans to vote for Republicans, who are facing growing unpopularity due to the ongoing war with Iran and rising energy and fuel prices. Trump's approval rating has reached record lows in recent weeks, as diesel prices hit record highs and rising bond yields push up borrowing costs for consumers.

"Trump's presidency is so failed and broken, he is resorting to trying to bribe the American people for their votes," said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) in a social-media post last week.

Some Republicans expressed similar concerns.

Sen. Bill Cassidy (R., La.), who lost his re-election bid earlier this year, slammed the proposal in an interview at a Semafor event, saying that Republicans would oppose such payments under a Democratic administration.

"If Joe Biden suggested a $5,000 check, without apparent pay-fors, Republicans and conservatives would say, 'You gotta be kidding me.' "

"I would never support any promise that's predicated upon a particular political outcome," said Rep. Kevin Kiley of California, an independent who caucuses with Republicans. "I think that the specific facts here, where you have a particular policy outcome that is predicated on a political outcome explicitly, I think that's wrong."

In congressional testimony Tuesday, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent was asked about the $5,000 checks and said he believed there are "ways to do it without increasing the debt or deficit." He said the Treasury Department was examining the idea but didn't provide further details.

"When the Republicans win in November, if we need to, I look forward to working with Speaker Johnson on it," said Bessent.

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

September 15, 2026 13:42 ET (17:42 GMT)